Now that you are finally done with the college degree, it’s time to find a job that is aligned with your academic profile. You’re really happy for your friends who have got their jobs – well, most off the time anyway – but on the other hand you’re quite freaked out, realizing that you haven’t been offered any opportunity so far. To you, it feels as if your friends have already figured out what the real world entails and you’re just trying not to end up looking forward to your dad’s wallet.

During this stressful phase of your life, you need to assure yourself of one thing: “Your friends’ lives are not as perfect as they appear on Facebook”.

Comparing yourself to your batch-mates and friends will never help you figure out your practical plans. To help you deal with the state of comparisonitis and to shift your focus to landing your next job, I’ve listed down some workable ideas.

Avoiding Apples to Oranges Comparisons

Just like you are assuming that your friends have landed as perfect jobs as they seem on Facebook, you may not be realizing what their job search has been like either. Some of them have strong contacts in companies whereas others have totally different job prospects than you do. According to different human resource experts, the entry-level recruiting for different business organizations can have completely different processes. It has been observed that sometimes, the organizations hire new people months in advance of graduation. So you need to understand that your friends from finance department may have their jobs lined up in advance as compared to your friends from marketing department. Similarly, the recruitment process for engineers would be totally different than that of the doctors.

Knowing Your Strengths & Embracing Your Value

Now that you have finally realized the fact that your job search scenario can’t be compared directly with anyone else’s, it’s time that you turn the attention back to you. The best way to do it is to take a stock of your accomplishments and make sure that your resume lists everything that you’ve done. This may include your GPA, part-time jobs, internships, volunteer work, extra-curricular activities etc. It has been found that many people fail to get their first job because of an unimpressive resume. You can always take help from a professional organization for this. Rozee – Pakistan’s # 1 job website also offers professional CV writing services, so it’s always a great idea to invest in a resume overhaul.

Creating a You-Centric Job Search

After having done with listing of your assets and creation of an attention-grabbing resume, it’s time that figure out just right jobs for you. Remember! What’s right for your friends isn’t necessarily what’s right for you. So the right approach is to know your perfect fit. You can also start reading relevant industry news so you have a pulse on the companies and work that interests you. Start following them on social media and you’ll be up to date on what’s happening at specific companies and in the fields that interest you. Being up to date with the industry trends would also help you impress the interviewer with your industry knowledge.

Finally, If You Haven’t Been Hired Yet, Use this Time Wisely

During your first job hunt, instead of thinking about your friends and their jobs, focus more on spending this time wisely. The best idea is to get in touch with all your friends and acquaintances working with renowned companies and inquire about job openings, so that when a job opens, you have people ready to refer you. Besides, it is also a good idea to start a freelance project or to take industry-specific classes that focus on developing your skillset. Always remember, there are a number of productive ways to spend your free time, but panicking isn’t one of them.

Of course, I couldn’t talk about avoiding the “no job” panic without suggesting you use ROZEE.PK to start looking for jobs. Take a look. Your first job might be waiting for you there!